If there were justice in this world, every bank executive and mortgage handler in the land would be forced to turn out on Saturday and participate in National Trails Day. Rationale? Federal, state and municipal land managers are facing drastic cuts as a result of recent recklessness in the financial sector, and they’re more in need than ever for help to maintain existing trails and blaze new ones. Alas, since it’s doubtful we’ll see a brigade of shovel- and mattock-wielding pinstripes flooding our forests Saturday, it’s up to the rest of us.

Since 1993 we’ve been setting aside the first Saturday in June to celebrate the nation’s more than 200,000 miles of trail. Throughout the year, our trails give us so much: a place to run, a place to ride, a place to escape to our thoughts. It’s only fitting that we set aside one day to give something back.

According to the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day Web site, there are currently 23 events scheduled in North Carolina. I’ve include the list by location below; just click on the event and it will take you to the event-specific NTD site where you’ll find the what, the when, the where, the whatever (“whatever” including whatever incentives and enticements may be involved).

Incentives? Enticements?

Sure. For example, if you attend the Carolina Mountain Club’s workday on the MST along the Blue Ridge Parkway, you could win door prizes offered by the Mast General Store and the American Hiking Society. Pitch in at Blue Jay Point County Park and sponsor REI will provide water, snacks and lunch.

You could discover something new on NTD as well — like Carvers Creek State Park.

Carvers Creek State Park?

Carvers Creek State Park, a park-in-the-making near Fayetteville that will be the North Carolina’s 36th state park and eventually include more than 4,000 acres. Help build trail at the park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., then get a sneak peak of the property, not yet open for public exploration, on a ranger-led hike.

Not all NTD events involve rolling up your sleeves and and waking up Sunday with a sore back. In Greensboro, there’s an NTD Festival at Bur-Mil Park that includes geocaching, hikes, kayak demonstrations, bike clinics and rides, a vendor fair, live music, and a 5k trail run. In Lexington, you can hike or paddle Abbotts Creek and get an education in water quality. And in Black Mountain, you can explore this very cool town on a hike of their greenways.

Get out your calendar and make a date with a beloved trail for this Saturday, June 4. As an added perk: you needn’t bring flowers for this date. They’re already there.

Know of an National Trails Day event not on our list? Fill us in and we’ll add it to the list.

Mountains

Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Invasive Plant Removal
Robbinsville

Black Mountain Greenways Commission
Greenway Walk
Black Mountain

Carolina Mountain Club
MST Trail Building Work Day
Asheville

Carolina Mountain Club
MST Trail Construction
Waynesville

Friends of Panthertown, Inc.
Panthertown Valley Hike with Friends of Panthertown
Cashiers

Grandfather Mountain State Park
Grandfather Mountain State Park
Banner Elk

Jackson County Recreation/Parks Department
Breakfast at Pinnacle
Sylva

Montreat Conference Center
Trail Work
Montreat

The Swag Country Inn
Celebrate National Trails Day at The Swag
Waynesville

Piedmont

Alamance County Recreation and Parks
National Trails Day Hike
Elon

High Rock Outfitters, City of Lexington and Piedmont Triad COG
Finch Park Trails Day
Lexington

Historic Gold Hill and Mines Foundation, Inc.
Gold Hill Rail Trail Hike
Gold Hill

Yadkin River Greenway Council/Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
Yadkin River Bank and Trails Cleanup
North Wilkesboro

Charlotte

Reedy Creek Nature Center
Reedy Creek Trail Days
Charlotte

Fayetteville

Carvers Creek State Park
Carvers Creek- National Trails Day
Fayetteville

Triad

City of Greensboro
National Trails Day Festival
Greensboro

Triangle

Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department
Grand Opening Morgan Creek Trail
Chapel Hill

FMST – Falls Lake
Falls Lake MST Workday
Raleigh

Friends of The Mountains To Sea Trail, Eno River Section
Eno River State Park Trail Construction and Maintenance
Durham

Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve
NTD Volunteer Workday
Cary

REI-Raleigh
Blue Jay Point County Park Trail Re-Route
Raleigh

Triangle Greenways Council
Walnut Creek Greenway Hike
Raleigh

Coast

Friends of Mackay Island, Inc.
Name the Eagle
Knotts Island, NC